Protecting U.S. Strategic Assets

Did you know that "most U.S. ports are managed by foreigners and that Saudi Arabia has 50% ownership in the Houston-headquartered Motiva Enterprises LLC?

According to an article by Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld and Alyssa A. Lappen published March 24, 2006 in FrontPage, Motiva is a "joint venture of the Shell Oil Company and Saudi Refining, a subsidiary of Aramco, the Saudi government-owned company, shipping petroleum products, including gasoline and aviation fuel into Connecticut where it owns and operations portions of the New Haven and Bridgeport ports.

In addition, Motiva operates:

portions of 15 other ports nationwide in Tampa; Fort Lauderdale; Dania, Fl.; Hollywood, Fl.; Baltimore; Lawrence and New York, N.Y.; Newark and Sewaren, NJ; Convent and Norco, La.; South Portland, Me.; Providence; Port Arthur and Port Nechas in Texas; Since 2002, Motiva received in one year alone,  at least 14 port security grants totaling at least $4 million from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, according to undated DHS documents. The grants were awarded for “surveillance” and “physical enhancement.”  Finally, Motiva owns two Louisiana refineries and full or partial interests in 47 product terminals. Motiva also owns above-ground storage tanks in the port of Baltimore, as in the other ports. Motiva and its partner Shell Oil, “collectively account for about 10 percent of total U.S. refining capacity and a 13 percent share of U.S. gasoline sales.”

Saudi Arabia also owns and operates:

In the New Haven port, Motiva owns storage tanks containing a portion of the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve—the part set aside as the Northeast Heating Oil Reserve – the second largest heating oil reserve in the Northeast. And according to a December 2004 letter from Senator Christopher Dodd to then Homeland Security Secretary, Tom Ridge, New Haven harbor is also the starting point for “the jet fuel pipeline that provides 2.7 million gallons of petroleum liquids per year to Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts and Bradley Airport.” Bridgeport serves as a major import hub for perishable goods, and as a passenger ferry terminal. Motiva, like other companies operating in Bridgeport and New Haven, manages its own security.
 
In Delaware, where until last year Motiva owned a facility, the company pleaded guilty “to negligently endangering workers at its former refinery in Delaware City, Delaware, discharging pollutants into the Delaware River and negligently releasing sulfuric acid into the air .” Motiva was fined “$10 million and to serve a three-year term of probation.”

It seems that we are inextricably tied to a nation that "continues to fund the spread of radical Islam around the world," an Islamic nation, by definition, one that is duty bound to destroy us.

If that's not enough:

No less troubling is the 10 North American shipping terminals managed by the Riyadh based National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (NSCSA). Established  in 1979, it operates eight of these terminals in the U.S.: Newark, NJ; Brooklyn, N.Y.; Wilmington, NC; Savannah, GA: Baltimore, MD; Newport News, VA; Houston, TX, and New Orleans, LA.
 
Despite these substantial properties in strategic locations, the Saudi holdings sailed below the radar when the controversy arose over the DP World debacle. Moreover, little complaint was heard regarding the 2004, DP World acquisition of several U.S. port terminals in its $1.1 billion purchase of the international terminal business from U.S. railroad and shipping giant, CSX Corp.

Saudi Arabia's holdings "sailed below the radar" during the controversy over the DP World.

It gets worse. Dubai is involved again. Read it for yourself.